Bacardi embraces the AR wave: will it drive the campaigns to new heights?

Published: May 26, 2023

min read

Although some big names in the industry have begun to scale back their experiments with web3 and the metaverse, many well-known brands such as LVMH and Crate & Barrel still remain committed to navigating and capitalising on the NFT trend.

AR and VR technology, on the other hand, have gained a lot of traction among brands and audiences. And many have embraced AR because it is less difficult to produce and experience than VR.

Snapchat, the popular instant messaging app, has been experimenting with this technology and has incorporated many AR features into its platform in order to strengthen its relationship with younger users. According to statistics, over 75% of the Snap community uses augmented reality every day to communicate, play, and learn.

Recently, the rum company Bacardi announced its plans to incorporate AR for its summer campaign "Do What Moves You," which launches in June.

To elaborate, the campaign will kick off on June 8 with a Bacardi x Stadium Goods speakeasy pop-up experience in New York. The attendees will be able to purchase limited-edition merchandise, listen to music, try Bacardi cocktails, and more.

Attendees will also receive a free Dancing Shoes NFT, a digital wearable developed in collaboration with Jeff Staple and web3 studio Kollectiff. Attendees will be able to customise their NFT as they interact with various elements in the pop-up retail store, and they can also change their digital sneakers into a real pair that will be delivered to them later in 2023.

As part of this campaign, Bacardi collaborated with Snap to develop a Bacardi "Do What Moves You" augmented reality lens, which will be available at the Bacardi x Stadium Goods speakeasy pop-up via Snap's AR Mirror technology. Later this summer, everyone will be able to use the lens in the Snapchat app. The lens will feature Siéntelo, a song from Bacardi's first original EP.

The campaign comes to a close in October with a final pop-up event in Amsterdam.

How impactful will the inclusion of AR into its campaign be for Bacardi?

In recent years, augmented reality has come a long way. With people's interest in and love for augmented reality growing, social platforms are eager to incorporate augmented reality features into their platforms.

And, without a doubt, Snap is leading the AR race by introducing a slew of new commerce AR features for businesses that are both appealing to users and beneficial to marketers. In addition, Meta recently added AR features to its platform by launching AR ads in Instagram reels.

At this point in time, Bacardi embracing AR and incorporating it into its summer campaign is definitely an interesting idea to drive campaign results.

In our opinion, it will probably help the brand in many ways.

AR lenses mainly contribute to creating an engaging user experience. Thus, by creating a unique lens for a particular campaign, Bacardi can increase its visibility and make more audiences aware of their summer campaign. This way, the brand will be able to reach audiences in a more funny and interactive way. Organically!
As audiences will be able to interact with the brand’s AR lenses by adding filters, animations, etc., they are likely to be more encouraged to take pictures, share them with their friends, and create memories with them. This way, Bacardi can possibly increase the reach of the campaign and the engagement of audiences.
If the brand’s AR lens turns out to be more entertaining and enjoyable for users, it will possibly go viral. As a result, Bacardi can exponentially expand the reach of its campaign.
As audiences can save their pictures with the lens and share them on other social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, etc., cross-platform sharing of the images with the brand’s lens is highly possible here. So that the brand's campaign can probably expose to a wider audience beyond its own platform. Which, in turn, will help Bacardi amplify its campaign impact.
As Snapchat offers metrics and analytics for monitoring the effectiveness of AR lenses, Bacardi can learn a lot about important metrics in detail. As a result, brands can use them to assess the effectiveness of their campaigns and optimise future marketing strategies.

In a nutshell, Bacardi has made the right move at the right time with its AR initiatives. In our opinion, the incorporation of AR into its campaign can drive its campaign results significantly. If it turns out to be successful, we can see more brands and marketers adopt this strategy to attract their target audiences and make their campaigns impactful.

Author

Bill Walker

Bill is a marketing strategist who believes in the power of storytelling. He's known for his creativity, wit, and ability to connect with audiences across all channels. When he's not crafting marketing campaigns, you can find him hiking in the mountains or reading a good book.